Definition
Duct sealing is closing the leaks, gaps, and loose connections in a home's ductwork, usually at joints, boots, takeoffs, and plenum connections, using mastic sealant or foil-backed metal tape rather than cloth duct tape. ENERGY STAR estimates a typical home's duct system loses about 20 to 30 percent of the air moving through it.
Also called: Duct leakage repair
Why it matters to you.
Where ducts run through a Central Kentucky crawlspace or attic, return leaks can pull in humid, dusty air that loads the filter and adds moisture the air conditioner must remove. Sealing the obvious return leaks is one of the indoor air quality fixes that pays off before any add-on equipment.
Practical guidance.
Dusty registers, uneven rooms, and visibly disconnected crawlspace ducts are worth pointing out to a technician. Leakage testing and sealing with mastic and mechanical fasteners is contractor work; never use cloth duct tape, which ENERGY STAR notes does not last.
About this definition
Written by the Feistritzer Heating & Air Conditioning team — family owned and operated in Danville since 1976, Kentucky HVAC license M02584. Definitions inform; a whole-system diagnosis in your home decides.